STORYLINES, CHARACTERS AND

LOCATIONSJONATHAN YEATES

STORYLINES• A TYPICAL POST APOCALYPTIC STORYLINE BASES AROUND A GROUP OF

SURVIVORS TRYING TO OVERCOME THE SOURCE THAT WIPED HUMANITY OUT. MOST OF THE TIME THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO HUMAN’S OWN INVENTIONS TO SUGGEST OUR OWN ACTIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS ARE OUR OWN DOWNFALL. FOR EXAMPLE HUMANITY MIGHT HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST A DISEASE THAT IS WIPING EVERYONE OUT THAT A HUMAN ORIGINALLY MADE TO CURE A STIMULUS (28 DAYS LATER).

28 DAYS LATER• 28 DAYS LATER IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A CLASSIC POST APOCALYPTIC FILM,

AS A GROUP OF LONESOME SURVIVORS GROUP UP TO FIGHT OFF THE INFECTED. THE STORY BASES AROUND HOW THE GROUP MANAGE TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION AND HOW THEY MANAGE TO OVERCOME THIS. 28 DAYS LATER SUPPORTS THE CONVENTION OF POST APOCALYPTIC AS WELL, AS IT SHOWS HUMANS HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT EXCEPT A HANDFUL. FURTHERMORE, THE STORY SUPPORTS THE THEORY THAT HUMAN ACTIONS LEAD TO OUR DOWNFALL AS THE DOCTOR IN 28 DAYS LATER AIMED TO CURE ANGER, HOWEVER INFECTS THE APES WITH RAGE WHICH STARTS THE APOCALYPSE.

DAY AFTER TOMORROW• THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW IS ALSO A GREAT POST APOCALYPTIC FILM THAT

BASES AROUND A GROUP OF SURVIVORS AFTER A MASSIVE STORM HITS THE CITY. THE GROUP OF SURVIVORS HAVE TO FIND SHELTER AND FIGHT THROUGH THE STORM TO PREVENT HUMANITY FROM EXTINCTION. DESPITE HOW EASY THIS SEEMS HUNGRY ANIMALS LURK OUTSIDE THE BUILDINGS DYING FOR FOOD SO THE STORYLINE EXPANDS AROUND SURVIVAL AND FIGHTING. THIS FILM SLIGHTLY DIFFERS FROM OTHER POST APOCALYPTIC FILMS AS THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ISN’T A FILM WHERE HUMANITY BRINGS UPON ITS OWN DOWNFALL. IN THIS FILM THE POST APOCALYPTIC SETTING IS DUE TO NATURE THEREFORE CONTRADICTING A CLASSIC POST APOCALYPTIC STORYLINE SLIGHTLY.

CHARACTERS• IN A POST APOCALYPTIC FILM, THERE IS GENERALLY A GROUP OF SURVIVORS TEAMING UP TO

OUTLAST THE APOCALYPSE AND BRING THE EARTH BACK TO NORMALITY. HOWEVER IN THE GROUP OF SURVIVORS THERE ARE GENERALLY SPECIFIC CHARACTER TRAITS. THE FIRST TYPE OF CHARACTER YOU WOULD SEE IS THE ONE WHO IS AFRAID WHO NORMALLY GETS SAVED BY THE BRAVE CHARACTER. FOR EXAMPLE, WE SEE THIS IN 28 DAYS LATER AS THE MAIN CHARACTER, JIM, WONDERS A DESOLATE LONDON AIMLESSLY WHILST GETTING SWARMED BY THE INFECTED, ONLY TO BE SAVED BY THE BRAVE CHARACTER, SELENA. THE NEXT TYPE OF CHARACTER YOU SEE IN A POST APOCALYPTIC FILM WOULD BE THE ONE WHO BETRAYS THE GROUP…THE ANTIHERO. THIS IS ALSO APPARENT IN THE FILM 28 DAYS LATER AS MAJOR WEST SEEMS WELCOMING AT FIRST TO THE MAIN CHARACTERS HOWEVER BETRAYS THEM BY MENTIONING HE PROMISED HIS TROOPS WOMEN FOR REPOPULATION, THEREFORE HE TURNS AGAINST THE MAIN CHARACTERS JUST TO PROCREATE.

LOCATIONS• LOCATIONS IN POST APOCALYPTIC FILMS ARE SET IN BUSY, URBAN AREAS

GENERALLY CAPITALS, TO CREATE AN UNWELCOMING ATMOSPHERE TO THE VIEWER. AS AN AUDIENCE WE SEE URBAN AREAS EXTREMELY LIVELY AND BUSY WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND COMMOTION. SO TO SEE SUCH A LIVELY PLACE SO “DEAD” CREATES TENSION TO THE VIEWER AS THEY AREN’T USED TO SEEING SUCH A NICE AND LIVELY PLACE SO LONELY AND DESOLATE. THIS TENSION IS USED AS A BENEFIT IN POST APOCALYPTIC FILM AS THE PURPOSE OF THESE FILMS ARE TO LEAVE VIEWERS ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS THROUGHOUT THE FILM ASWELL AS MAYBE SCARING THEM AT THE SAME TIME.

I AM LEGEND• I AM LEGEND IS A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR TENSION, AS THE FILM SHOOTS THE

SCENES AROUND A DESOLATE NEW YORK. AS IT IS AN AMERICAN FILM, THIS TARGETS AMERICANS SPECIFICALLY AS THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK SEE THE CITY EXTREMELY FULL THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHEREAS I AM LEGEND SHOWS THE “CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS” IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. THE TENSION IS USED SPECIFICALLY IN THIS FILM AS THE AIM OF THE FILM IS TO BUILD UP THE TENSION THEN SCARE THEM.