Final Solution

The movie idea I am choosing to follow is idea A. I am choosing this idea because I really like the way it is organized. All the scenes would not be difficult to get the permission to do, if needed, and are within a short driving distance. This is the best choice out of all three. However, I think that I may try to integrate some of my favorite scenes from the other two ideas so long as they don’t interfere with the plot and the flow of the movie.

Selection-Rejection Idea C

Idea C actually opens up with the business meeting scene and follows a similar path to idea A without starting in the end. It also doesn’t end the same way. After the business scene it shows the grocery store scene. It then shows the survivors going to a house. The only main difference here is the introduction and conclusion, which in idea C shows a group of people escaping to a car and driving away. We later find out with text that they got out of the quarantine zone, and that the army went in to destroy the infected. Idea C has basically the same pros and cons as idea A, with the difference being the introduction and conclusion. It would be good to use this idea to avoid problems of confusion. However I think that the opening scene in idea A is a more exciting scene that will get the audience into the movie. That is one of things I have to consider when choosing the final solution.

Pros
- storyline is easy to follow
- Majority of locations do not need permits

Cons
- Storyline isn't as original

Selection-Rejection Idea B

Idea B follows the same basic storyline; however it also has a few changes, especially in the end. For this idea I did not use the same technique for beginning the movie. It opens up with scientists working on an unknown substance, which the audience later can easily infer it is the substance that caused the outbreak. After that scene is the business meeting scene. The conversation they have is exactly the same as with the previous idea. After that scene, I chose to use something else other than the grocery store outbreak. It involves a car in the road, not moving. Someone pulls onto the street and begins to beep at them. The man in the second car gets out of his car to talk to the first car. As that happens the man in the first car gets out, and we see he is infected. He attacks the man, and then it shows a few other scenes similar to this as with the first idea. A group of friends find a house, go inside, and board it up. This is the idea which I had thoughts about using the haunted house in Port Monmouth because I think it will create the perfect atmosphere. Another plot difference in this idea is that the next scene shows the military getting involved in trying to contain the outbreak. It shows officers discussing possible solutions to the problem. The solution they choose is to send in a small team to find out what exactly is going on inside the quarantine area. I have created two different endings for this idea. One is that the soldiers go against orders to rescue survivors, and the other is that the soldiers find the survivors, but at that moment the infected attack and no one survives. I think that idea B will be an interesting movie as well. I like the fact that I left a good portion of it open ended because it will give me a good amount of freedom if this is the one I choose. Another thing I like is that haunted house. I thing it would create a very gloomy, mysterious, and perhaps even creepy atmosphere that would be a perfect addition to the movie. Even better about this is that if it turns out that this specific location won’t work out, I can use my house like in the other two ideas. A possible problem with using the haunted house would be that I would definitely have to get a permit to shoot there. I have it as an option, but I have a fallback if it does not work out.

Pros
- Interesting location
- Easy to follow

Cons
- Would need permits to do most of the movie.
- Storyline isn't very original

Selection-Rejection Idea A

Next I will discuss idea A. This idea starts off in the middle of the conclusion. It continues up to but not including the finale. Right after a cliffhanger scene ending it fades out. It fades in with the business meeting scene, which I have already discussed. After that it goes into a grocery store scene and shows the start of the “infection.” This scene would probably be the most chaotic, showing multiple scenes of people changing and attacking other people. At the end of that it would show people getting into a car and driving away. They would be driving for about two minutes, where they would see a house that wasn’t boarded up and run for the door. After a brief tussle they get inside and are greeted by the other survivors in there. The next scene briefly shows text in the beginning that says two weeks have passed. It still takes place in the house at first. Then circumstances force some of the survivors out. The ones forced out get into a car and drive away. This will lead up to the introduction of the movie. The introduction will play again, only this time the end of the movie will be revealed. I think that idea A will be a good movie to create. It flows nicely on paper, and I believe I will be able to transfer that into the movie well. I really like the idea of starting at the end and working back up to it. I think doing it in this way will create a cliffhanger that will entice audiences and get them more interested. Also the house I plan to use is my house, which would bypass any need for permits or anything like that. Getting locations for the other scenes should not be difficult either. One problem I could have with this idea is confusion. Sometimes, when movies start at the end and jump around the timeline a bit, the movie can become confusing. If I was to do this idea I would want to avoid this.

Pros
- a more suspenseful and interesting storyline
- fewer actors needed

Cons
- could be confusing to the audience

Selection-Rejection Similarities

With my three alternate solutions completed, I now have to decide what the best solution for my project is. First I will discuss the elements in each idea that are similar or even the same. I will then go through the pros and cons of each of the ideas. Afterwards I will use this information to choose my final solution.
Throughout the three ideas, there are a few techniques and scenes that show up in them all. One of the scenes is the business meeting. It appears in the first or second scene in every different design. It is a relatively short scene that opens with a fade in, although there are different techniques for ending it in the different ideas. The scene consists of almost all dialogue between the characters. Another consistent thing in the movie is the house scene(s). The different ideas don’t have the same amount of scenes, but they all are pretty similar in the events that take place there. Given my limited budget, I plan on using extras as of right now.