Film project

I'm currently writing up a script designed to start shooting in 2012-2013, and just wondering if anyone could recommend any good source material for inspiration; help nail down characters and even tone of this film.
So far our current inspirations include;
Firefly / Serenity
Evil Dead II
Buck Rogers
 
Yes Red Dwarf thanks, can't believe I overlooked that one.
Though always hated Babylon 5, so won't use that much, but still you've just helped by 8 series and 2 sort-of films! :D
 
Ha suppose you're right sorry - I was trying to be vague to avoid just obvious points of reference (like if i said it was a battle in space, everyone would offer just Star Wars and the like) and I was just going to see points of reference and see what direction that would take us.

But the basic plot so far, is a group of people from all around the globe gather together into an elite team, to try and investigate an alien prescence.

The plan is to make it in a homage fashion to the 80s and 90s b movies, but still have our own edge to it so we arent just sitting through every lame cliche. I want this to have heart (hence inspirations from things such as Firefly as opposed to Deep Space Nine) and not just be another bug hunt.
 
Sort of neither :P
Basically we're set like a third of the way into the battle, and we've lost Earth and so have our last stand on a nearby Moon / Asteroid we had to terraform.
 
Ah ok.
You don't seem to be a DS9 fan (you implied it didn't "have a heart"), but your pitch reminds me of the Dominion War arc, where human dynamics during a time of war was pretty well staged. A very specific episode even comes to mind ("The Siege of AR-448"), also set on a moon / planetoid.
I'm also thinking of Outland, in which Sean Connery is taking a last stand all by himself on Io, the Jupiter moon.
Depending on what you want to focus on, you could also find relevant inspiration in non sci-fi works. Since most good sci-fi is all about good characterization, you could check any good war / siege / last stand movie : The Unforgiven (John Huston), Apache Drums (Hugo Fregonese), the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven, are the first ones that come to mind, but I'm sure there are plenty of others.
Looking in non sci-fi territory could also be the key to getting your project "a heart"...
 
No DS9 is the only Trek I truly couldn't stand, but I will still investigate this story arc so thank you :smiley:
But yes I am generally trying to use as much inspiration outside of the world of sci fi as I can, one to help give it more heart but also to help prevent it all too easily becoming typically sci fi. My main problem with most Sci Fi is that they try so hard to scream sci fi that they dont diversify. I guess that was why I loved Firefly, and Star Trek so much, because they did use westerns etc.
But almost all of your suggestions are either good choices or in the case of the DS9 story arc haven't seen (any idea what season it would be in to make it easier to track?)
 
Obviously, you haven't watched Ds9 much, as the Dominion arc spans several seasons...!
I guess the actual war starts with the last episode of season 5 ("A call to arms"), and lasts all the way to the end of season 7 ("All good things..."). But tensions with the Dominion were building up in previous seasons already.
The Siege of AR-558 is S7E08 : Siege of AR-558 (careful if you actually mean to watch the episode, as the entire plot is given away in the last paragraphs).
For the record, DS9 changed dramatically with season 3, and the introduction of the Defiant and the Dominion. If you've only watched the first two seasons, I can understand why you didn't like it.
But if so, you should definitely give the following seasons a try, at the very least from Season 4 and the arrival of Worf, especially since you're already a Trek fan !
 
Haven't watched Ds9 since it first aired on television, and gave up after about 2 /3 seasons, so maybe I should give it another chance if it gets better.
Suppose same can easily be argued with Voyager which I could enjoy. I get exactly why everyone hates it, but I at least enjoy the campy aspect of it.
Still nothing on classic or some of Next Gen though.
 
Our film project got us into the final 12 for the "makemymovie" competition.
Please vote for us at: http://www.makemymovie.co.nz/finalist/finalist-this-papier-mache-boulder-is-actually-really-heavy/
Just click on the facebook 'like' button on the right hand side.
It is scifi, based on the concept of 2 guys being transported into a low budget sci-fi film. Think Blake 7 style where weapons look fake, but they really work.

We are the only scifi film in the finals, so please support us and you will get to see our movie in a cinema near you soon.

Thanks
 
Back
Top