NationStates Jolt Archive

I am making a film about a group of soldiers who take refuge in a bunker in a futuristic war. However at the beginning the bunker is heavy bombed around it and collapses and sinks underground, barricading them in. The problem is the story lacks a middle. That's where I hope you can help me. I know that the people of NationStates are the most cleverest, most brainiest, most beautifullest people alive and so I need your help. Go wild with your ideas. It could be anything. The men could go insane and resort to cannibalism or the bunker could be like the island on Lost, a whole world of its own. So post your ideas for a middle please.

You want a traitorous guy, and a really noble honourable bloke to round it out.

How are you making the film? Stop-motion, 3D, live-action or what?

The entirely female group engages in lesbian sex for the rest of the movie.

I agree with the lesbian scene, but if you decide to just go with soldiers, one has to get shot. One always gets shot.

Maybe when they sink down they uncover some crazy thing that's incredibly hostile to everything and most of the film revolves around them trying to both contain said thing and fight off the enemy at the same time.

Yeah, fairly standard sci-fi fare, but if done well still good. (See Alien saga for a good example, along with a whole load of others.)

Sorry, it's the best I could come up with at short notice.

You want a traitorous guy, and a really noble honourable bloke to round it out.

How are you making the film? Stop-motion, 3D, live-action or what?

I'm probably making it stop-motion and the archetypal hero idea sounds good.

Maybe when they sink down they uncover some crazy thing that's incredibly hostile to everything and most of the film revolves around them trying to both contain said thing and fight off the enemy at the same time.

Yeah, fairly standard sci-fi fare, but if done well still good. (See Alien saga for a good example, along with a whole load of others.)

Sorry, it's the best I could come up with at short notice.

I like that idea. I was thinking the bunker might not actually be a 'bunker' in the end and inhabited by mutants from a result of radioactive weapons or something.

I'm probably making it stop-motion and the archetypal hero idea sounds good.

Hmm - I wouldn't go for the archetypal hero approach if I were you - bit too samey if you know what I mean (yeah, ironic considering my suggestion :D). Maybe instead you should go for a rough-and-ready group, all slightly on edge, all with their dark sides to a greater or lesser extent, that way you won't be too sure about any of them - like wild cards or something lol. Keep people on their toes ya know?

I'm probably making it stop-motion and the archetypal hero idea sounds good. The traitor always rounds out a film though. All of the Alien films have some kind of treacherous scheming bastard in them.

Plasticine stop-motion?

The entirely female group engages in lesbian sex for the rest of the movie.

Well, the group is a load of boy scouts, including me, although we can pretend to be men. And don't patronise me. Please don't patronise me!:(

I like that idea. I was thinking the bunker might not actually be a 'bunker' in the end and inhabited by mutants from a result of radioactive weapons or something.

Maybe the guardhouse for a crazy base-place and when they sink they discover new levels maybe. Maybe biological experimentation/genetic tomfoolery for the crazy mutants/things?

I'm probably making it stop-motion

Oooh that's gonna take a whole heap of time. Especially if it is plastacine - you know the Wallace and Gromit film took like five years? Ouch. Maybe CGI? Or something like that. Although that'd take quite a while too. What sorta budget are we talking here?

Hmm - I wouldn't go for the archetypal hero approach if I were you - bit too samey if you know what I mean (yeah, ironic considering my suggestion :D). Maybe instead you should go for a rough-and-ready group, all slightly on edge, all with their dark sides to a greater or lesser extent, that way you won't be too sure about any of them - like wild cards or something lol. Keep people on their toes ya know?

Oh, yeah. So far I have three solid characters. A surly captain who shouts about everything, like Stanhope in Journey's End. A laid-back crooked corporal like Sawyer from lost and an impetuous private who thinks he can single-handedly win the war. Oh, and a corny alcoholic.

Oh, yeah. So far I have three solid characters. A surly captain who shouts about everything, like Stanhope in Journey's End. A laid-back crooked corporal like Sawyer from lost and an impetuous private who thinks he can single-handedly win the war.

Hmm... sounds pretty good so far. How many characters (defenders I mean) are there gonna be? Just roughly. Are we talking a platoon here or just a squad?

And about the characters, maybe a somewhat insubordinate dude, so there's always the possibility of a mutiny? Tension, yeah...

Oooh that's gonna take a whole heap of time. Especially if it is plastacine - you know the Wallace and Gromit film took like five years? Ouch. Maybe CGI? Or something like that. Although that'd take quite a while too. What sorta budget are we talking here?

No, no, sorry. I meant fast-cutting action and just the usual camera job not plastacine, real people.

Hmm - I wouldn't go for the archetypal hero approach if I were you - bit too samey if you know what I mean (yeah, ironic considering my suggestion :D). Maybe instead you should go for a rough-and-ready group, all slightly on edge, all with their dark sides to a greater or lesser extent, that way you won't be too sure about any of them - like wild cards or something lol. Keep people on their toes ya know? Hey, heroes are supposed to have dark sides… you know, they always show their true colours when something needs to be done!

You can do CGI on a fairly low budget… there are some reasonably priced and even free programs out there, that's how I managed to do CGI film.

Okay, how about this, because if I remember you're kinda young-

This is a future war that has turned into a childrens crusade of sorts. The war has gone on so long and is between dissasociated tribes. The area comes under general shelling and the young conscripts that have been the guerilla force in the city independently seek refuge in this bunker, discovering each other only moments before the shell sinks the bunker.

Since they are guerilla soldiers they have no uniforms. They are trapped and unsure of the allegences of any of the other soldiers in the bunker. As far as each one knows they are the only one from their 'tribe' in the bunker. They don't want to reveal themsleves or thier allegance until they are sure they won't be killed right out by doing so. In addition, there is no getting out by themselves, they need each other-so a tacit peace is forged while each of them tries to identify friend and foe for their own safety and the knowledge that once the light is reached, all bets are off. Who knows what they'll find waiting for them once they dig out?

Soon, they have to come to terms with an ageless war without end and the individuals-are they no better, are they worse? Has that morality gone to the wayside in place of survival, is it still even practical?

Hmm... sounds pretty good so far. How many characters (defenders I mean) are there gonna be? Just roughly. Are we talking a platoon here or just a squad?

And about the characters, maybe a somewhat insubordinate dude, so there's always the possibility of a mutiny? Tension, yeah...

I think there will be about 7 in total.

Hey, heroes are supposed to have dark sides… you know, they always show their true colours when something needs to be done!

You can do CGI on a fairly low budget… there are some reasonably priced and even free programs out there, that's how I managed to do CGI film.

Do you know any possible websites for free CGI?

Do you know any possible websites for free CGI? Yes. www.blender.org
Look up "Maya 7 personal learning edition" although you can't make commercial stuff from it.

Some of the person-making/landscape ones aren't free, but they aren't too expensive, like Bryce.

Okay, how about this, because if I remember you're kinda young-

This is a future war that has turned into a childrens crusade of sorts. The war has gone on so long and is between dissasociated tribes. The area comes under general shelling and the young conscripts that have been the guerilla force in the city independently seek refuge in this bunker, discovering each other only moments before the shell sinks the bunker.

Since they are guerilla soldiers they have no uniforms. They are trapped and unsure of the allegences of any of the other soldiers in the bunker. As far as each one knows they are the only one from their 'tribe' in the bunker. They don't want to reveal themsleves or thier allegance until they are sure they won't be killed right out by doing so. In addition, there is no getting out by themselves, they need each other-so a tacit peace is forged while each of them tries to identify friend and foe for their own safety and the knowledge that once the light is reached, all bets are off. Who knows what they'll find waiting for them once they dig out?

Soon, they have to come to terms with an ageless war without end and the individuals-are they no better, are they worse? Has that morality gone to the wayside in place of survival, is it still even practical?

Sounds good. I like the fact the people are meant to be kids.

Okay, how about this, because if I remember you're kinda young-

This is a future war that has turned into a childrens crusade of sorts. The war has gone on so long and is between dissasociated tribes. The area comes under general shelling and the young conscripts that have been the guerilla force in the city independently seek refuge in this bunker, discovering each other only moments before the shell sinks the bunker.

Since they are guerilla soldiers they have no uniforms. They are trapped and unsure of the allegences of any of the other soldiers in the bunker. As far as each one knows they are the only one from their 'tribe' in the bunker. They don't want to reveal themsleves or thier allegance until they are sure they won't be killed right out by doing so. In addition, there is no getting out by themselves, they need each other-so a tacit peace is forged while each of them tries to identify friend and foe for their own safety and the knowledge that once the light is reached, all bets are off. Who knows what they'll find waiting for them once they dig out?

Soon, they have to come to terms with an ageless war without end and the individuals-are they no better, are they worse? Has that morality gone to the wayside in place of survival, is it still even practical?

Ooooh nice - and maybe then with some crazy all-killing thing in there to shake things up? :D

I agree with the lesbian scene, but if you decide to just go with soldiers, one has to get shot. One always gets shot.
The black guy?

Ooooh nice - and maybe then with some crazy all-killing thing in there to shake things up? :D

Yeah, like a mutant or alien or something.

Yes. www.blender.org
Look up "Maya 7 personal learning edition" although you can't make commercial stuff from it.

Some of the person-making/landscape ones aren't free, but they aren't too expensive, like Bryce.

Does this let me put CGI on ordinary film.

there actually already a movie about this kinda thing, called, the bunker. check it on www.imdb.com.
its about some german soldiers who get trapped in a bunker with some kinda "thing":mp5:

Does this let me put CGI on ordinary film. If you've got programs you can export rendered movies to, then yes, I suppose it would. At least, you could get it on DVD, I think.

I use Poser 6, Bryce 5, and some ancient programs to make models in, if it's any help. Maybe if you mixed stop-motion and CGI…?

Just a quick question - is the basic premise of this film meant to be pretty much entirely action-based (I mean character development and all, but mainly actiony stuff) or are you looking for something a bit deeper? Like something deeper, a moral, or bigger picture?

there actually already a movie about this kinda thing, called, the bunker. check it on www.imdb.com.
its about some german soldiers who get trapped in a bunker with some kinda "thing":mp5:

Ok. Well I suppose this film isn't going to be a blockbuster anyway.

Ooooh nice - and maybe then with some crazy all-killing thing in there to shake things up? :D
Actually have it be the 'sweeper' that's on the surface that follows a shelling, an Ogre type machine (referencing the Steve Jackson Game) that is roaming the ruins sweeping survivors. If it comes across the sunken bunker and detects life it will hammer them, so in their efforts to get out they have to avoid attracting its attention.

Though I would caution against over-complicating the story.

Just a quick question - is the basic premise of this film meant to be pretty much entirely action-based (I mean character development and all, but mainly actiony stuff) or are you looking for something a bit deeper? Like something deeper, a moral, or bigger picture?

Erm, I suppose the moral issues don't matter too much but some moral ending would be nice.

The film is ideally going to be about 40 mins long.

Erm, I suppose the moral issues don't matter too much but some moral ending would be nice.

Oh that's alright then - you can just have them pulling together despite their differences or something - standard dreck lol. Or the insubordinate guy realises he's a tit and pulls himself together... I dunno - it shouldn't be too difficult though.

Ok. Well I suppose this film isn't going to be a blockbuster anyway.
The first thing that you're going to have to accept if you're going to do movies or stories is this: Someone will always tell you 'it's been done.' Take these to heart:

Niel Gaimen once misunderstood me when I told him that I revamped my writing because of Seasons of Mist thinking I had come up with the same idea. He said, "You can't get hung up by that kind of thing. Just make it your own."

Depending on who your talking to, there are really only 7-32 stories out there, everything else is just a variation.

Novelty is a 20th century fascination. Previuosly authors would tell the same story all the time, but in their own way to say their own things.

Put it this way, "Portrait? Pfff, it's been done. Perhaps you've heard of the Mona Lisa?"

And you have plenty of options that distinguish you from the movie, that didn't look like it got that wide a release anyway.

And you have plenty of options that distinguish you from the movie, that didn't look like it got that wide a release anyway.

Besides which it was apparently rubbish, so you can't go very far wronger.

Besides which it was apparently rubbish, so you can't go very far wronger.

Hurray. I think we are just making this film for ourselves anyhow.

The first thing that you're going to have to accept if you're going to do movies or stories is this: Someone will always tell you 'it's been done.' Take these to heart:

Niel Gaimen once misunderstood me when I told him that I revamped my writing because of Seasons of Mist thinking I had come up with the same idea. He said, "You can't get hung up by that kind of thing. Just make it your own."

Depending on who your talking to, there are really only 7-32 stories out there, everything else is just a variation.

Novelty is a 20th century fascination. Previuosly authors would tell the same story all the time, but in their own way to say their own things.

Put it this way, "Portrait? Pfff, it's been done. Perhaps you've heard of the Mona Lisa?"

And you have plenty of options that distinguish you from the movie, that didn't look like it got that wide a release anyway.

I know what you mean. Before Harry Potter there was the Worst Witch and lucas only made Star Wars to piss people off for not letting him do Flash Gordon.

- One of the soldiers could be a sadistic sociopath who plays twisted mind-games with the others and tortures them....sort of a Hostel- or Saw-esque deal.

- They could have crazy hot orgiastic monkey-sex to pass the time. :fluffle:

- One of them could really be an enemy soldier, and they all get progressively more insane and paranoid.

- They could make potato vodka from tubers and roots growing down there, get drunk, and then have crazy hot orgiastic monkey-sex. :D

- One of the soldiers could be a sadistic sociopath who plays twisted mind-games with the others and tortures them....sort of a Hostel- or Saw-esque deal.

- They could have crazy hot orgiastic monkey-sex to pass the time. :fluffle:

- One of them could really be an enemy soldier, and they all get progressively more insane and paranoid.

- They could make potato vodka from tubers and roots growing down there, get drunk, and then have crazy hot orgiastic monkey-sex. :D

...

Well, thanks to all for your help. If you have any more ideas please post or feel free to contact my nation.