Friday, 30 January 2015

The Original "2018: The Virus" Vision

My Final Cover for the Rewritten Version.

Unfortunately due to technical limitations and overall PC specifications at that time.
The original film just wasn't possible to continue making without bumping into more technical issues.

The original screenplay does still exist but it's kept out of the public eye, for now...

I collapsed the whole project in early 2014 and it had undergone a complete rewrite in order to make a film that would work.

Along the way, things were lost and some were changed; but elements of the original story still exist in there somewhere.
Some changes did have positive impacts and that made the rewrite worth it.

Let's move on...
 
These 'Rare' images are from the original film run before the 
March 2014 Cancellation.

What it was Before...

1.) The Zombie/Human Character
"Was he?"


In the original screenplay, Rocky's character existed but the human/zombie side wasn't as advanced, nor lasting or what you see of it today.

It was a lot different back then and had a more sinister side to it.

Originally, Rocky was Jonathan's (protagonist) brother and he was already a survivor on site.

He originally disappeared off site for several hours during a search and as sundown came,
he reappeared in the safe area severely unwell and badly hurt. 

The infected ripped away at his stomach area and falls to the floor in pain. 
Jonathan rushes over to him to help but he dies upon impact.
He was left devastated by his death. 

Rocky then re-animates on site and still has the weapon gripped before he is executed.

Anybody see a connection here?

2.) The Safe-Zone 
"Was it So Safe?"

    Then...

    Now...

The Safezone is still the same isolated location but the advanced security measures weren't there.

Originally, the Safezone didn't have CCTV, enough people to guard nor a secure chain-fence system to keep the infected out.

Instead it was just sheets of tall & long metal and wood, stuck in the ground with barbwire, military vehicles were used to block the only entrance.
It's all they have to protect themselves and it was enough to hold them back. 
The advanced equipment wasn't easily obtainable.

Lights were turned off at night and keeping overall noise to a bare minimum kept the infected away.
All weapons were silenced and were only fired if absolutely necessary.
 
 
3.) The Helicopter &
the now-called "IVAN" Character
 

Both Transport & Locations were entirely different; bigger form of transport and a bigger location.

The helicopter shown in action is a Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight.

The entire rescue attempt scene was different to what's in its place now.
*The same rescue pattern is used in the recreated version*

Originally, the group noticed a CH-46 fly over their heads and over to the nearby airport.
They decide to chase after it but lose it at the airport itself. 

As they make it to the airport, their van breaks down on the ground-floor parking lot and soon becomes surrounded by the infected.

With extremely limited ammunition; 
The CH-46 makes a lucky appearance and attempts to rescue them. 

The pilot nose-dips the chopper, slicing up the crowd who walk towards it, before bringing it back up and landing next to them.
The surviving group jump in unharmed and fly away to safety.

IVAN's character didn't even exist in the original write and run,
he was an older American war pilot who obtained the carrier shortly after the outbreak happened.

4.) Scares & Mental Impacts

Biggest majority of the original scares had to be removed in order to save overall film time and they wouldn't have worked well with the rewritten storyline.

Originally, the events had negative and mental impacts on Jonathan's mind.
Resulting in him becoming unstable from time to time.

5.) The Scientist 'Jade'

Jade's character is described differently in the original write

Jade suffered a bite to her leg and hand during the outbreak.
She appears in a wheelchair with the bottom half of her leg and her whole hand amputated. 
She received a replacement hand at some point to help her continue studying for a real cure.

She became a tougher girl after surviving the bites and she didnt want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. 

As the infected invade towards the end, knowing she couldn't move, she committed suicide with her very last bullet.

6.) The Psychopath Killer 
"It wasn't this guy"
"It was Kyle!"

In the original write and film run it was Kyle.
The psychopath we know today used to be the good guy.

Kyle was originally rescued during a city search and he didn't know anything about the plagues' origin. At the time he appeared to be a normal sane person but things soon went downhill.

At some point after his rescue, 
an event takes place inside which sent him into a stage of insanity. 

He ended up trusting nobody around him.
For his own safety he murdered a friendly and fled the scene,
hiding within the darkness and becomes a silent killer.

At the end during the invasion he was ripped to shreds by the infected...

7.) John's Bloody Death Scene

John's Death was a little more advanced and gory than what you see of it today.

In the original, John was keeping his guard of the safe zone but noticed a boat pulled up nearby.

He wanders over into the darkened woodland area and goes down some old steps;
leading himself down to an old dock.

The boat wasn't there before and he checks inside of it very cautiously,
only to fall victim to the killer!

A broken-glass bottle strikes him in the neck, he is left to bleed out on the floor.

The body is then thrown overboard into the waters; hoping the others would never find it.

8.) Plague Origin
"More Scientific & Earthly"


The original screenplay describes the plague origin very differently.

In 2017, a major scientific experiment took place to possibly cure cancer.
The experiment hit an all-time breakthrough and hats were flying everywhere, celebrating.
But within hours after its discovery; the 'cure' didn't just destroy cancer cells.
It also triggered a never-before seen infectious agent.

A virus that's takes control of its victims and transforms them into flesh-eating monsters.
The virus wiped out 90% of the world's population in just under 5 days.

Jade was part of the experiment and she survived the outbreak.

A year on, she continues to study and will not stop looking for a way to reverse it and eradicate the problem.

She spends her last days trying to help the recovery of humanity.

9.) The End - "Goodbye..."


The graphics weren't created at this point but it's described in the screenplay.

Long story cut short.

Jonathan, David "who is now IVAN" & Caroline "who is now a Deleted Character" survived the night of horror...

Shortly after sun rise,
an announcement comes on over the radio.

U.S Government Officials confirm that nuclear bombs will be dropped on all major cities in last hopes of ending the unstoppable plague and risking overall life.

They switch off the radio device, feeling hopeless, they all leave the house silently.
Knowing that death is upon them; they all stand in the middle of the street together.

They all look up into the sky for the last time in their lives and wait; 
waiting for it to strike.

Doomsday is now...

As the bomb drops, Jonathan holds onto Caroline's hand tightly and says to her "Goodbye...".

The film cuts to black & the sound of the bomb is heard wiping out everything in its path.

It's all history now...

The film credits begin rolling. 


Sounds a lot different don't it?
 
2018: The Virus could of been a lot more atmospheric, intense and much more frightening.
As previously mentioned; it wasn't possible to do at the time.

The rewritten version alone has many positive sides and people enjoy what they've seen of it so far.

Someday, I might return to it and give it another shot.

Lets just hope the rewritten version gets as much popularity :)

ALL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN THIS WORK ARE FICTITIOUS.
ANY RESEMBLANCE TO REAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL    

Please 'Subscribe' to my YouTube channel for more

Unique_Productions_INC

Visit my Google+

Unique_Productions_INC

&

Ashley J. Wilding


Unique Productions Copyright
2009-2019

Sunday, 18 January 2015

2018: The Virus - Influences

'With every creative works' comes an influence' 

My movie is certainly based upon a few interesting ones. 

For many years, even before I started my way into the Film world.
I have been a fan of zombie movies from eras between the late 1960's to the Present Day. 

ONE movie and ONE man is all it took to get me to where I am today. 


George A. Romero - aka The Father of the Modern Zombies

George A. Romero's DEAD Series shows us a much more darker, gory and sinister side to the zombie topic.

His films describe accurately how such situations could be dealt with, whether good or bad, how such events can have mental & psychical impacts on a person, resulting in extremely dangerous behaviour and how teamwork can hit a breakthrough.

The one movie that inspired me...


The 1985 Original 'DAY OF THE DEAD'

DAY OF THE DEAD is a 1985 American horror film and is the third movie in the series, succeeding Night of the Living Dead (1968) & Dawn of the Dead (1978)

He describes the film as a "tragedy about how a lack of human communication causes chaos and collapse even in this small little pie slice of society".

George also said DAY is his favourite film.

DAY OF THE DEAD takes place in an underground military bunker, which gives the film a great sense of isolation and has a lot atmosphere in it.

What I liked the most about the film is how it works. 
The last possible humans seeking shelter underground and away from the undead that walk the earth above. 

It provides a realistic sense of hopeless towards the recovery of the human race.

Everyday becomes a struggle for the survivors.
There's also a phrase mentioned numerous time in the films' soundtrack which describes this. "If Tomorrow Comes"


The Soundtrack was composed & performed by John Harrison. 
The soundtrack was released by Saturn Records in 1985 on Cassette Tape & L.P

Today the Soundtrack is a rare collectable item...

Back to the film... As previously said, the mental & psychical impacts on military characters adds more horror and tension to the film and that kept me interested.

Essentially mixing a 'Psycho' & 'Zombie' theme together creates a whole new film and genre within itself and I found that very clever. 


In this movie we also try to learn about what the zombie really is, why it wants, why it does what it does, is it still human in some way & it's overall purpose for human consumption.

In the movie we learn that zombies have some form of memory of their past lives and they use past-human abilities as weapons to capture and threaten the uninfected count.


My movie has many influences from DAY OF THE DEAD & these have helped to create my own and original ideas.