Weather Forecast

It's a few days before we start filming. Currently, the weather is showing cloudy for the day and sunny for the second, which is perfect for our scenes as our only requirement is no rain.

Planning

We made notes on the basic plot of our post apocalyptic opening scene. The mood board helped us decide the location of our scene; abandoned areas, alleyways, forests.

• Waking up, sat down, build a den?
• Taking image out of bag, same place
• Beth's upset
• Starts with a good memory, like a flash back, blended in with a bad memory
• Good memory of Lilly and Beth walking and laughing, walking through the alley (good memory )
• Cutting scene with an edit of Beth nearly breaking down.
• Bad memory; Lilly and Ellie running then Ellie dragging Lilly close up
• Go back to Beth, Beth breaking down then freezes, having a moment, then carrying on.
• Slowly going mad, madness ids the infection

Opening Titles

I analysed the opening titles of some famous films.

Regular Examples -

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:

Skyfall:

Post apocalyptic Examples - 

Zombieland:

Mad Max: Fury Road:

In Charlie and the chocolate factory, Skyfall and Zombieland the actors names in order of importance in terms of the film and acclaim are presented before the director - the director is last. This is to emphasise the priority of the director in the film. In Mad Max however, only the two main characters are titled, which is unusual in todays society. This could be because the introduction of the main characters is important to the story and the director isn't, or just an editing choice to limit the amount of titles in order to introduce the story sooner.

Mood Board

We collated some ideas into a mood board as shown below:

This shows items and ideas generally associated with post apocalyptic genres. This mood board inspired us to choose our location as an abandoned area such as an alleyway, train station, tunnel or forest. This would ensure the lonely and desolate feel of a post apocalyptic film. Dark tattered clothing such as those shown above will also be featured in our work; the main characters will have layered, dark clothing to show the lack of resources available and the need to survive.

28 Days Later - Ending Scene

Resolution
In the ending scene of 28 Days Later we first see a montage of the characters trying to save the man's life from the beginning of the film. After this, 28 more days pass and the man wakes up in a peaceful cottage. The roar of a jet engine can be heard overhead, the characters race to position a large piece of cloth in the shape of an 'O', changing the already written world 'HELL' to 'HELLO' suggesting resolution is a major theme at the end of this film and hope has now been restored to the characters because of the positive connotations of the word hello. This suggests they will survive at the end of this film and therefore gives resolution to the audience, and a sense of hope for the future. Hopefulness at the end of post apocalyptic films is common as we as viewers like to believe there is a chance for us if this day ever comes.
Shots
When positioning the cloth, it deliberately doesn't cut to the word 'Hell' or 'Hello' until the plane is overhead to create suspense and mystery for the audience. When the plane is overhead, a crane shot is used to present the word, and possibly to give the POV of the helicopter. 

Preliminary Task

This is my Preliminary Task. I feel as though the beginning of the scene was easy to shoot and film, the tension and eeriness tone of the piece reflected through the setting as well as the music in the background. We spent a lot of time perfecting this scene and played around with the shots to find the best possible fits for the task. During editing, because there was no speaking I feel as though the editing and transition shots were easy to input. A lot of editing techniques were available to edit this however, I went with a natural if not eerie atmosphere to create the feeling of tension.

During the second scene, we had some problems when shooting; the camera saved the films as images even though I pressed the record button! This meant we had to quickly re-film resulting in it not being the best of our ability, however in the opening scene I will rectify this problem by being more prepared and using the camera correctly. Furthermore, a lot of people were included when shooting the second scene, causing some focusing issues (laughing). In the opening scene we will be more focused when shooting. 

28 Days Later - Opening Scene

In the opening scene of 28 days later naïve activists release a chimpanzee that's undergoing experiments, causing it to have a virus that causes immense rage. A man awakens 28 days later to find an abandoned world and zombie humans. The plot of a virus wiping out the human race shares many similarities in the Post apocalyptic world.
The film opens to a series of fuzzy broadcasts and news reports depicting destruction across the globe. Muffled cries and startled reporters accentuated the chaos. Erratic camera movements imply the danger in capturing the footage; there is a very real danger of getting infected. Locations shown range from third world to first world suggesting the whole world has been affected by this rather than just the UK.

As the camera pans out we are shown a research lab with chimpanzees hooked up to electrical machines with straps restraining it. Switching to an establishing shot we are then shown that there are several chimps in the same position. The lack of natural light suggests this is a top secret area, and that these experiments aren't natural to the audience. A close up shot of the chimpanzee shows the audience his frantic eyes and immediately get the idea that this is what caused the apocalyptic nature of the film and is likely to be part of the storyline because its included in the opening scene.
Even though they are warned the activists release the chimps and are immediately killed by the frntic chimps. Frantic camera movements and fast paced cuts increase the tension and action in the scene.
As the man wakes up 28 days later many different shots are used to establish that he is alone; establishing, panning, tracking, crane, long and mid shots. He is hooked up to a machine when he wakes suggesting someone tried to take care of him before the panic started. Naked? this leaves the audience extremely confused asking questions and eliciting creating intellectual puzzles the audience wish to solve. In this scene the lighting I just average everyday natural light showing everything is exactly the same except for the fact that everyone has now gone.

Websites

When film companies bring out a new film they use a website to promote the film. This is a cheap and effective method in getting an extra audience and to appease fans.


These are a few of the upcoming films with websites:
- Fantastic Beasts and where to find them
- Assassins Creed
- Rouge One (Star Wars)
- Justice League
- The Lego Batman Movie


All these films have huge followings, many of them being children's films. This could possibly be to entertain the children rather than have the boring information about the film that many of them will skip/ignore.
Many film companies cater to developed nations with access to the internet, it acts as further publicity for them. Also giving them some kind of reference to the film itself, e.g. for a murder mystery, there could be clues on the website for the fans to follow, acts as further expansion of the films fan base.

Examples:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
On this website there is a trailer, videos, gallery, maps where you can explore the sets, information about the beasts, a countdown to the opening date, a place to book tickets, shop and links to social media pages. They have tried to make the site as magical as possible to compliment the film of wizardry.

Justice League
This website opens with all the main characters' logos, informing the audience of them. It also contains comic con footage, first look, release date, and links to social media. This website doesn't contain a lot of information possibly because the release date is in 2017.

Codes and Conventions of Post apocalyptic genre

In the post apocalyptic genre there are many conventions seen throughout that appear in almost all films of this genre. When typed into google, these images (see right) are the first to show up and depict a barren, dying world with little to no life left.
These are a few of the codes and conventions:

Location
Area of abandonment; e.g. sandy, wiped out setting, derelict, barren forest.
In 'I am legend' a citywide abandonment was shown, where New York had become overgrown.
These settings show an almost unrecognisable world and emphasise that an apocalypse has occurred.
Danger may also be evident throughout.

Lighting
Low, dark lighting

Sound
Tense scores are common, for the fast, action filled moments of the film.
Slower, sadder songs are used to emphasise the loneliness of the main character, or when a tragic event occurs.
Sometimes, a tense build up is used to create suspense. This is used in the opening of 'Book of Eli' when Eli is about to shoot the cat.

Main Character
The main character is usually either the 'hero' trying to stop the crisis of the Post apocalyptic world, or just a regular human in the thick of it.
Usually male, the audience needs to see the character as dominant otherwise surviving in this world seems unrealistic.
Main themes however are that the character is usually alone physically or mentally and almost always a male.

Costume
Dirty, ragged clothes are usually worn to emphasise the lack of resources; including water.
In 'The Road' for example dirty clothes with holes, usually cast offs and in layers is the norm.

Women
Women are few and far between in this genre, probably due to the fact they are seen as the weaker sex by many people. In 'Book of Eli' Solara is made out to be sexual, wearing dresses and neatly brushed hair, both of which are usually uncommon in post apocalyptic worlds.

Challenges/Survival
Majority, if not all of the characters no longer have their old lives, many loosing loved ones to maximise the death and dangerous world.
Most have the challenge of returning somewhere, finding someone, fighting someone etc.
Death is a major theme throughout all of this genre. 'The Road' is a great example of this; images of families killing themselves, cannibalism or being brutally killed for supplies is featured.
Items of significance are also featured. Eg suncream, or sunglasses for a desert dystopia, boots and lots of clothes for a cold and wet climate.

Plot
Flashbacks of the old world, usually the main character remembering something from his past.
Zombies or people representing loss of hope are a common theme. Although zombies have lost all sense of humanity, people with a lack of hope could be considered to fall under this category of lost humanity with them being changed after the apocalypse.
Interestingly, the protagonist is usually presented with hope for the future whereas the antagonist isnt.

Book of Eli - Ending Scene

Alcatraz
As Eli and Solara make it to the Alcatraz safe haven we assume all hope is lost, due to Carnegie having the Bible. ( The whole point of the movie). However, parallel editing is used to build the tension and show the audience new hope when Carnegie opens the bible and finds its in brail. This shocking information for the audience infers that Eli is blind. Although there are many clues during the film, this confirms it.


Eli's Death
Freshly washed and clothed Eli recites all of the Bible, no minor feat, even though he's dying. His final mission in life is to tell the story of the bible. Inspirational and relaxing music is played during this scene, including his death to show he didn't die for nothing and to look towards the future. A crane shot (as seen to the right) is used during this scene to show all of the events happening as well as possibly to represent God is looking down on Eli. His position lying on the benches could possibly forebode his death to come.

Faith
'Solara' means sun and light etc. possibly reflecting the hope she brings for Eli; she helps him finish his quest, showing him the light and will carry his legacy in the future, as well as the knowledge and power of the Bible. At the start of the movie, Eli says God told him to deliver the book west. His never ending faith is expressed throughout however there is never any proof that God had a part in it. This could be for the audiences benefit, showing that faith is needed in life. God and the bible is a main theme in the post apocalyptic genre, ironic when so many have died and the world has deteriated. Although faith in this time may stop some from going mad.

Age Ratings

Below is a PowerPoint all about Age Ratings and how they are used to classify films. Examples of each are also shown.

The Road - Ending Scene

Fathers Death
In the ending scene of The Road the tragedy of the fathers death sets the unforgiving and desolate mood to the film. Throughout, themes of death are expressed thoroughly, possibly foreboding the adults demise. The emotional goodbye from the father and son elicits emotional pleasures from the audience. The view of the child as innocent increases the sympathy expressed, especially when the child cries. This scene would probably be more emotional to those who have children. The mans final moments hugging the child show unconditional love, the fact that this has now been taken away, shows lack of hope and creates uncertainty for the child moving forward.
Gun Scene
The first thing the child collects from his fathers body is the gun, possibly to signify the responsibility he can only now just face. His fathers words of protection stay with him; when faced with a potential enemy his first instinct is to hold him at gunpoint. The fact that he was reluctant to shoot however, expresses the humanity he still possesses and could be seen as an asset or a curse.
The Family

The final scene shows the boy agreeing to go with the family, promising to take care of him. The possibility of a mothers love and family causes to boy to go with them, even though they could be monsters. The panning shot of all of them, the children and dog included is foreign and wanted for the boy. They look normal and he wants to be apart of that. The fact he left his fathers body on the side of the road could be considered shocking to some audience viewers. It lacks sentimentality although this boy probably doesn't understand the concept of burying etc. It looks as though he's
abandoning his father for a better life, and in my opinion makes him look a bit ungrateful. However, because the boy now has someone to take care of him the audience can get some closure they otherwise may've not gotten. In the harsh reality of this world, the boy probably would've died or become a killer. This way we look hopeful for the future of humanity.

Costume in different genres

In different genres there are certain types of clothing more commonly used than others.

Post-apocalyptic

 In these situations worn, dusty, grungy, dirty and stained clothing are most common, no hygiene and unable to wash clothes shows how a lack of resources has led you to re-purpose clothing and materials that you have found for survival. In desert situations, sunglasses would be vital to avoid blinding. Boots are a major must have; if your feet become damaged or blistered you cannot move making it a matter of life or death. Earthy colours such as browns, greens and greys are used. This can be seen in 'The Road' where the father and son wear baggy, dirty stained clothing and layers to protect them from the elements, emphasising the lack of clean water they have to clean themselves with.

  

 

Sci-fi

Futuristic costumes are worn to reflect our idea of fashion in the future. Leather and metal are often used throughout. Women are often reflected in tight, form fitting clothing suggesting even in the future, women are exploited. Although ironically, women are often presented as more powerful in these clothes in sci-fi films. Metallic colours such as silver are used as well as purple and blue; possibly to reflect space. Technology and science feature throughout the clothes to show the scientific advancement and to emphasise the use in the plot of the film.

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Period Drama

Old fashioned clothing from the era of the film are usually the ones used; typically dresses and suits from the Victorian era. long dresses that cover most of the body are used for women. As the focus of the drama is mainly on royalty, expensive necklaces, looking dresses and gloves are also used to show the wealth from the people involved. Black and brown sophisticated suits are worn by men as they were considered upper class, these can be paired with top hats. In 1940s period dramas, women are shown to have more form fitting, less layered clothing. Floral patterns are common.

My Opening Scene

In my opening scene, I will use dark, earthy colours

Audience

I looked at stereotypical audiences for the post-apocalyptic genre we studied. Using YouGov, I found and combined the audiences for the film openings we studied to show a general audience for the post-apocalyptic genre.

I am legend
Gender: Male
Age: 40-54
Social grade: ABC1
Top Region: Midlands
Interests: Movies, Music, Science
Online for: 26-30 hrs per week
Entertainment: Die hard, The Dark knight, Cliffhanger, Futurama, Star Trek, Blade, The Yogi bear show

Book of Eli
Gender: Male
Age: 40-54
Social grade: ABC1
Top Region: North West
Interests: International news, Science, Movies
Online for: 26-30 hrs per week
Entertainment: I am legend, Rambo, The Dark knight, The twilight Zone, Charlie Brooker's weekly wipe, The walking dead

The Road
Gender: Male
Age: 40-54
Social grade: ABC1
Top Region: North West
Interests: Movies, books, international news
Online for: 16-20 hrs per week
Entertainment: Batman, The x-files, Mad Max, Seven, The Walking Dead, Celebrity Mastermind, Flowers

28 Days Later
Gender: Male
Age: 25-39
Social grade: ABC1
Top Region: South Coast
Interests: Movies, Video games, Music
Online for: 41-45 hrs per week
Entertainment: The exorcist, Final Destination, The Thing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NCIS:LA, Dexter

All the movies have an older, male age range except 28 days later which is slightly younger. All have a social grade of ABC1 which means well educated, well-paid jobs and intelligent. The interests are all educated and suggest the older generation. The Road suggests an older audience however due to the 16-20 hours a week online. Compared to 28 days later with 41-45 hours it suggests The Road could contain features more suitable for an older audience. Interestingly, all the average audiences' entertainment preferences have action, adventure and some sci-fi elements. What's strange is that almost all contained some form of comedy which is the opposite of most general post apocalyptic movies.
From this we can gather the general post-apocalyptic audience, according to YouGov, is:

Post apocalyptic Genre
Gender: Male
Age: 35-54
Social grade: ABC1
Top Region: North West
Interests: Movies, Music, International News
Online For: 20-35 hrs per week
Entertainment: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, and some comedy

Mise en Scene

Book of Eli

Props:

Gun–he's prepared to defend the ownership of the book. He will kill for it.

Book- positioned away from the threat.

Sink – grubby, indicating an uncomfortable place/cell. Could indicate lack of use due to water unavailable.

Costume: Hers designed to look attractive to seduce Eli, hair’s brushed, childish? etc. He is clean, has practical clothing.

  Lighting: He is in the light connoting good, whereas she is in the dark connoting danger and bad intentions. This creates contrast and shows the perception of these two characters from the audiences perspective may differ from reality.
Facial Expressions: She is apprehensive and scared of Eli. Eli looks focused and ready to kill.


Props: Gas lamp as they don’t have electricity.
Old movie poster – Emphasises the apocalypse is in the future.
Food -  Canned food suggesting lack of resources, given Eli is a guest.
Costume: (see above)
Body Language: positioned towards each other suggesting intimacy and comfortableness.

 28 Days Later

Lighting: Dark connoting danger or lack of hope for the characters.
Clothing: Dark, dirty clothing and both wear hats. They are more comfortable hiding in the shadows as if they dont they may be killed.


The Road
Props: Can – Precious, item of significance, shows fathers love for his son as he's passing it to him. 
Clothing: Layers of dirty clothing show the harsh climate. Baggy suggesting they stole them/ they didn’t have a choice, needing them, to survive.
Facial expressions: loving father and a confused son. Son probably hasn’t seen a can of coke for a while.
Lighting: Dull, grey. Suggests the world is dying and their life is bleak.


I am Legend

Props: gun - only for hunting use, casually wields it as hes not expecting any human danger.
Dog - Loyal to the man, the only source of friendship so they cling to each other.
Background - Abandoned cars and overgrown streets emphisises the lack of human activity. The fact hes walking in the middle of the street suggests confidence

(I don't know what happened to this)

Editing

 

Action Match shot - A shot that cuts from one piece of action to another, making the shot continuous and smoother.

Shot/ reverse shot - Shot where you cut between two people having a conversation. An over the shoulder shot cutting between each character that's talking and the shoulder of the other.

Parallel editing - The editor cuts between two separate scenes happening in separate locations at the same time. This illustrates a contrast or link between them. E.g. a phone call.

Jump cut - A cut that moves to a very similar part of the same scene but missing a piece of action out. a break in continuity. E.g. when getting ready it cuts the part of you getting ready and shows you finished.

Fast pace cuts - Increase the speed and action in a scene. Mostly used in trailers.

Wipe - Used to move the action on without a jump cut making the edit seem smooth and calm.

Dissolve - When the first shot is on screen and the second shot starts appearing until you can only see the second shot. used to link scenes together.

Visual effects - Graphics on screen e.g. dates or numbers for what has happened or may happen.

Graphic Match - Cut from one shot to the other that look visually the same. Could be colour/object linking between scenes.

Slow motion - Used in editing to slow down time letting the audience see all of the details of the action.

The Road - Opening Scene

We looked at another post apocalyptic movie - The Road - to see another portrayal of this genre. This film features two characters instead of one and mentions more 'living' in this world.

At the beginning of the film a happy scene is shown to emphasise what the main character has lost. (His life, wife etc.).
Setting - the setting of this is much more bleak than the previous movies; everything's dying the trees, plants and nothing can grow. This shows that the characters lives are limited and they may not survive much longer. Interestingly, the only vibrant colour shown after the apocolypse is red in the written blood on the walls. It may represent that in this new world to get some sort of fix from the old one, killing is the only drug.

Lighting - Lots of light and colour at the beginning of the movie connotes hope and life. A deep contrast to afterwards when the lighting is dark, monotone and depressing. At the end if the opening scene they carry a light in the tent possibly showing the light and hope they carry not just for the future but for their mother also. Later in the film when the light has disappeared the audience will subconciously know all hope is lost for the characters.

Sound - not much sound except rain, thunder and lightning is shown in this scene, emphasising the dying world. Rocks moving indicate the world is still unstable even after so many years its still falling apart. Slow paced, sombre piano music is played to make the audience sympathise with the characters. At the very beginning of the film peaceful music is played to indicate the happiness, peace and love before the apocalypse ruined everything.

Camera - two shots are used frequently to show the relationship between father and son. Tracking shots are used to show the characters moving from place to place. There is a POV shot from the boy when looking at the deer, showing childhood wonder at never seeing one before. lots of establishing shots are used to show the desolate landscape and the negative impact its having on humanity. Finally, tracking shots are used to follow the action of the father and son throughout the day, possibly to illustrate the lack of action that occurs in this newfound world.

Plot/narrative - the voice over of the father tells the story as the characters walk. This helps to establish the story for the audience. The monotone voice however shows the bleakness and lack of hope these characters have. The opening shows an average day in the life of the characters, the lack of activity possibly foreshadowing the upended events to come.

Character, clothing, props - the layers of raggy clothes and long hair and beards show a more natural state when one thinks of the apocalypse. At the beginning of the film the woman wears white clothing connoting innocence and dresses to connote feminimity and fertility. the fact that in the main film the mother is gone shows absence of life. The lack of emotion when faced with shocking things like piles of bones show the new rabid world and the unshocking truth that they must live with it. the child carries a teddy bear throughout the opening showing the audience even though he's had to grow up quickly he is still ultimately a child, connoting innocence and providing comfort for the challenges faced everyday. Finally the shopping trolley plays a big part of the scene. Carrying all of their belongings if it was lost they may not survive. it relays that once unimportant things are now extremely valuable. It is a parallel to todays society where they are exactly like homeless people.

I am Legend - Opening Scene

| We looked at the opening scene to the film I am Legend to introduce some different opening techniques to our work. In contrast to Book of Eli this landscape looks recently deserted (3 years) whereas it looks as though it has been forsaken a while ago.

Setting - The abandoned city shows the lack of human activity. However the fact that all the cars and shops are still in place but no bodies can be found allows the audience to question what happened to create such a place.

Sound - The wind and eerie quiet at the beginning shows lack of humanity. After the news report a sudden bang creates a sense of foreboding for the audience. The sound of a car being the only disturbance focuses the idea that the character is alone in this city.

Camera - The crane shot shows the citywide abandonment. Mid shots and tracking shots are also used to show the characters movements and his lack of facial expression as he knows he is alone.

Plot/narrative - the fact that the place was abandoned at Christmas shows an extra amount of hopelessness as even with all the spirit no-one could save them. The news story at the beginning helps to establish the story. The lack of joy from the doctor creates unease in the audience as they along with the doctor know something will probably go wrong. Animals are present showing the unnaturally of the apocalypse.

Character - the strong masculine male lead is typical of the post apocalyptic genre. The fact he needs to kill to survive strengthens the tone of the film as kill or be killed.

Book of Eli - Opening Scene

We looked at the opening scene of the apocalyptic film Book of Eli for ideas of how to create our own short films. The professional nature of this piece allowed us to acknowledge the features needed to create our openings.

Setting - The setting of a dark, barren forest immediately gave a sense of foreboding for the audience. This along with the only life being dead or looking dead gave the tone for the film as survival i.e. kill or be killed.

Sound - The eerie and tense music added to the dramatic atmosphere, only used at points of signifucance and climactic tension. The build up of tension then the abrupt cut revealing the breathing presents the as as more dramatic as the audience recieves viceral pleasure, feeling something about to occur. The only indicator of life is the characters breathing which is effective in creating the idea of death in the world without having to say it.

Lighting - The dark, depressing, low-key lighting throughout the scene emphisises the dead world and increases suspense in the scene.

Camera - The long tracking shot is effective in setting the scene and showing the audience of the desolate landscape. The shot reveals a gun then a dead body suggesting the man commited suicide. The pan and track zooms into the characters face showing a close up of the characters mask creating an enigma code as the audience cannot see the emotions on their face, and therfore whether their intentions are noble or not. A POV of the cat is used, strangely, to present to the audience that the character cannot be seen and is therefore a very skilled hunter. This reflects on the rest of the movie as Eli is a killer to those who oppose him.

Editing - The long tracking shot uses the trees as cuts to break up the take. This creates suspension and tension setting up enigma codes such as who is he?, whats he doing ?etc. Although these are all answered later on in the movie. A slow motion shot of the arrow increases drama. 

Plot/narrative - The kill of the cat immediately at the beginning of the film sets the tone as having to kill to survive. It represents that the protagonist has no mercy as hes killed a helpless cat, setting the tone for the rest of the film. The dead character in the shot in the beginning also creates a sense of hopelessness as he committed suicide rather than live in this hostile world.

Character - The lack of identity of the character leaves the audience uneasy. The lack of gender could also be intentional to show the power of the person before stereotypes can be introduced. However the gender is assumed male as many women during the apocalypse aren't expected to survive. Later in the film its confirmed the protagonist is male. 

About Me

Hi, my name's Bethany Gunn and I'm currently studying Media at Ashfield School. I live in Kirkby-in-Ashfield and have done all my life. I chose Media as I have always been fascinated by how all types of media can capture an audience and move them to feel connected to the characters. my favourite genre is fantasy as I love how it can take you out of this world and into a new one.

In my family I have my Mum, Dad and younger Brother. When I was younger I wanted to be an interior designer and I guess I still have a creative side as I did art GCSE and I choose this subject. I want to hopefully express this through my work. I also did IT GCSE so I have a good knowledge of

computers.

My hobbies include reading which some may find antisocial but as blank said 'I read not because I have no life, but because I choose to have many'. My favourite TV shows are The 100 which is good considering our film opening project is about a dystopian future and that's just what it is, and Doctor Who. My favourite film is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I love how they fight for each other and the dark and suspense lingering over the film the entire time is evident throughout just from the lighting and background music. One of my favourite books id The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard which is about a girl fighting for her rights against a overpowering government (with some powers and romance thrown in).